Thursday Thoughts: The gift of an eyebrow

Inspiration, Wisdom for anyone facing cancer or alopecia

The beauty of this story was so unexpected, I had to share it with you.

As I entered a store to do some quick clothes shopping, which I never do anymore due to having alopecia and not loving my image in the mirror, a man walked in over to me. He said, “Do I know you?” to which I replied, “No, I don’t think so.” Having been in the media quite often in my life before and after becoming bald, I thought he was going to say he saw me on television, in the newspaper, or a magazine.

“I’m recovering too,” he replied.  I noticed he had some bristles of hair on top of his head so I assumed he was recovering from alopecia. “You are in chemo, right? I can tell because you don’t have any eyebrows,” he continued. “No, I have alopecia, not cancer.” He said, “Oh, I’m sorry for the mistake.” At this point, a store manager was witnessing this exchange and came over and took us both in her arms and embraced us saying, “This is such a special human moment, you are touching my heart.”

As the man and I eventually came out of our group hug, I told him my story and how people mistake me for having cancer quite often and that it is okay because I know they are just sharing their cancer stories with me. I said, “Two days ago, I signed up to run in the Boston Half Marathon for the Dana-Farber Cancer Center in Boston to raise money for cancer research because I’ve known so many people who have cancer.” He replied, “How wonderful of you.”

As we parted ways, the warmth of the group embrace and interaction with this kind man, put a warm smile on my face. Earlier in my home bathroom mirror, I hated seeing my left eyebrow start to disappear again as my new alopecia medicine stops working. “Yuck, here we go again,” I thought. But if my eyebrow wasn’t disappearing the encounter with a stranger wouldn’t have happened and the warmth of a hug wouldn’t have occurred.

My perspective changed on how I viewed myself as I tried on clothing in the dressing room. Removing my hat, I stared at my fading eyebrows, and balding head, and was thankful for once that my appearance brought two kind strangers into my life, if only for a moment, and reminded me how important it is to run in Boston and raise money to help those truly fighting cancer.

I am blessed – eyebrow or not.